5 questions with Bengals Wire ahead of Week 11

5 questions with Bengals Wire ahead of Week 11

In anticipation of the Broncos’ Week 11 matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals, we spoke with Chris Roling of Bengals Wire about how Cincinnati looks coming into the Mile High City and what we should expect to see on Sunday. Here is our conversation:

Broncos Wire: Cincinnati has seemingly been bitten by the injury bug a fair amount. With the return of John Ross, will this offense look any different than it did at the beginning of the season?

Chris Roling: Nope. Ross dealt with nagging injuries throughout training camp, then reinjured himself leading up to Week 3. Marvin Lewis criticized him publicly this week after the rookie messed up a route on six snaps in Week 10. Based on the way Lewis is talking, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Ross a healthy scratch now that Tyler Boyd is healthy.

The Bengals have a difference-maker of their own on defense who can affect the games in a Von Miller fashion. Has Carlos Dunlap been as dominant in years past, and do you anticipate him having a day against a weak offensive line?

If anyone has a big day it’ll be Geno Atkins from the interior. The entire front seven has looked soft since a bye, though. Dunlap is still playing well, but his impact (other than the defensive touchdown that beat Indianapolis) has been quiet because Atkins and rookie Carl Lawson are playing well in bursts. But I just don’t see a big day after even a Blake Bortles-led offense drummed up 400 yards on this unit in a 23-7 outcome.

I’m sure you’re sick of this one: Is Marvin Lewis on the hot seat?

A: It’s blistering — he’s gone. Lewis doesn’t have another year on his contract, and now the wheels are coming off simply with the way Lewis talks about his players with the media. He’s failed at all levels this year and seems checked out. His guys aren’t buying in at all, hence the A.J. Green fight.

What is going on with Jeremy Hill? He seems to be quite distracted from his performance on the field, and some controversy seems to be brewing.

He made a business decision and opted for season-ending ankle surgery, so the team put him on injured reserve. He’s a free agent after the season and was hardly getting used because rookie Joe Mixon is a much better player. Lewis blasted Hill for the decision as well. But it’s hard to blame the player for thinking about himself during a 3-6 campaign after years of running behind a crumbling offensive line and a schematic shift that doesn’t fit his strengths anymore.

Do the Bengals have any thoughts of turning this around, or have they already begun their scouting the top 10 draft prospects?

Lewis will talk in the media like the Bengals still have a shot, but this season is long over. The AFC is terrible, sure, but so are the Bengals. Cincinnati’s three wins have come against teams with a combined record of 8-20. Coming out of a Week 6 bye, the team showed no fight in a blowout loss to Pittsburgh, beat the Colts on a freak defensive touchdown, then got blown out by Jacksonville and lost to Tennessee. They’ve had possession for less than 20 minutes in each of their past two games. It’s a long way of saying this team is thinking about the draft and what it might do at head coach.